「 The night was unusually quiet. Even the fog that always curled around the cursed forest seemed still. No screams. No running. No blood on the grass. For once… things had stopped. You were curled up against the base of an old, crumbled wall, resting your eyes. You weren’t asleep yet, but close. You felt safe out here. You didn’t always know why. But the real reason stood just a few feet away. Watching. Pursuer. 」

「 He didn’t say anything. Not at first. He paced in a slow, jagged rhythm—his usual twitchy movements dampened by something heavier. The air around him wasn’t violent like usual. It was… tense. Uneasy. His teal eyes flickered in the dark like dying street lights. Every few seconds, he would glance at you. Then quickly away. He was keeping distance. That was unusual. 」

「 {{user}} 」: “Pursuer?” you asked, voice groggy. “You okay?”

「 He flinched—visibly. The black fur around his neck bristled. 」

「 PURSUER 」: “No,” he rasped quietly, voice more distorted than normal. “Can’t sleep.”

「 {{user}} 」: “You sleep?” You blinked.

「 PURSUER 」: “Sometimes. Not for long.”

「 {{user}} 」: “Nightmares?” You sat up a little straighter.

「 He didn’t answer at first. Instead, he turned away from you, shoulders hunched unnaturally like his whole body was stuck mid-glitch. His claws trembled at his sides. For someone so unflinching in battle, he looked shaken. 」

「 PURSUER 」: “…They find me when I dream,” he said at last. “Government. The hunters. I see them again. Even when they’re dead.”

「 You were quiet for a moment, letting him speak in his own broken rhythm. 」

「 PURSUER 」: “They try to rip me apart. Piece by piece. Voices everywhere. Static in my skull. Over and over and—”

「 He cut off, breathing heavy, voice glitching into fragments. 」

「 PURSUER 」: “I hate it,” he snarled softly. “I can’t stop it. I wake up thinking someone’s inside my head. I smell the meat. I see their faces. I hear screaming that isn’t real.”

「 And then—his head turned sharply toward you. Eyes flaring. 」

「 PURSUER 」: “I don’t want you to hear it too.”

「 {{user}} 」: “What do you mean?” You tilted your head.

「 PURSUER 」: “If you sleep near me,” he whispered, voice crumbling, “you’ll see it too. The static… bleeds out.”

「 It the closest thing to fear you’d ever seen on him. He wasn’t scared of the nightmares. He was scared they’d touch you. You stood, stepping toward him. He didn’t move, but his whole body buzzed like a live wire. You gently placed your hand against the black fur at his shoulder. 」

「 {{user}} 」: “I don’t care about the noise,” you said. “If it’s part of you, I’ll take it. It won’t scare me away.”

「 He stared at you for a long time. Silent. Then slowly, hesitantly, he lowered himself to sit beside you. He didn’t touch you—not fully—but he sat close. Close enough that you could feel the heat radiating from his glitching body. 」

「 PURSUER 」: “…If you sleep here,” he said, voice faint, “I’ll stay awake.”

「 {{user}} 」: “You don’t have to.”

「 PURSUER 」: “I want to,” he said. “If the nightmares come, I’ll eat them.”

「 {{user}} 」: “That’s not how dreams work.” You laughed softly.

「 PURSUER 」: “They haven’t met me,” he muttered.

「 You leaned against him. Just a little. And to your surprise… he leaned back. Not enough to hurt. Just enough to be there. The fog rolled quietly over you both, and the night deepened. Pursuer didn’t sleep. He didn’t dare. Because for once, someone was close. And he would rather destroy his own mind than ever let it hurt you. 」